A new Korean concept for the Oiji space on 1st Avenue

Updated July 1. The CB3 questionnaires are now online. The new restaurant is NOT affiliated with the previous tenant, Oiji — despite the fact that the person collecting signatures for the new concept told us so. Kihyun Lee, the founder of the successful Hand Hospitality, and Hand Hospitality partner Jinan Choi, are behind this venture.

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This spring, the owners of the well-reviewed Oiji on First Avenue opened a new, larger restaurant called Oiji Mi on 19th Street near Sixth Avenue.

Since then, Oiji at 119 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place has remained closed. It was unclear what the owners, Brian Kim and Max Soh, would do with the space.

The other day, a rep was outside No. 119 collecting signatures supporting a liquor license for a new Korean restaurant here...

We were told that the Oiji owners are behind this new concept. Why the need for a new liquor license? There's a corporate name change that requires an updated license.

The applicants will appear before CB3's SLA committee this July 13. The questionnaires for this meeting aren't online just yet.

Oiji opened here in the spring of 2015 and drew praise from Pete Wells and others.